Internal-combustion engine and method of operating the intake valve



Nov. 2, 1954 H. F. WATERS INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE INTAKE VALVE Filed April 23, 1952 lNV ENT OR United States Patent INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE AND NIETHOD OF OPERATING THE INTAKE VALVE Harry F. Waters, New York, N. Y. Application April 23, 1952, Serial No. 283,896

3 Claims. (Cl. 123-90) The present invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines and methods of operating the intake valve. One object of the invention being the provision of a novel arrangement and use of permanent magnetism, whereby the piston controls the actuation of the intake valve, thus dispensing with the cam shaft, cam and other mechanism now used to actuate the valve to opening position.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a method for employing magnetism to assist suction in opening the intake valve at the beginning of the down stroke of the piston, after which suction carries To more clearly understand the invention, attention is invited to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the upper end of a four cycle engine embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side view of the complete intake valve per se.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1' designates one cylinder of a four cycle internal combustion engine, with the usual head 2', intake valve 3, and exhaust valve 4'. A spring 8' carried upon the stem of the valve 3' acts against an adjusting nut 9 and the engine head to close and hold closed the valve. A piston 5' is mounted for reciprocation in the cylinder as is usual, except that in the present instance, the head 6' of the piston is concaved and of a hemi-spherical shape.

The valve 3 is spring closed and magnetically opened, as the extension 7' which may be made removable, is a permanent magnet, so that when the piston 5', having the cavity 6' (although in this instance it may be flat as is usual in normal pistons), has assumed its uppermost position after exhaust, the valve will be pulled upon against the valves spring and opened magnetically as the piston starts to descend, and thereby a charge for the next explosion is drawn. This action will be but for an instant, but sufliciently long to permit the proper charge to enter the cylinder and before the magnetic action ceases, at which time, the valve will be closed, due to its spring.

The adjustment of the spring in tension, must be less than the suction at the beginning of the down stroke of the piston after the magnet releases the pull. The magnet has to be strong enough to overcome the pull of the spring at the first part of the down stroke of the piston and just previous to suction taking over to hold the valve open. Thus this improvement allows or permits the intake valve to open or be opened instantly at the begin- 2,593,174 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 ning of the down stroke of the piston, after which the magnetic force or action ceases or becomes weak, then the suction has been built up sufficiently to hold the valve open. By this arrangement, the old method of suction opening is accelerated, and no cams and intermediate mechanical elements are necessary to insure the proper timed action of the intake valve.

With the old type of suction-opened intake valves, the suction at the beginning of the down or intake stroke of the piston did not act quickly enough to open the valve, so that the cam operation was resorted to, therefore the present invention was produced, utilizing magnetism between the intake valve and the piston, whereby the piston at the beginning of the intake or down stroke instantly, through the magnetic action between it and the intake valve, opens the valve, to permit suction to continue the action after the magnetic force is released or becomes weakened due to the movement of the piston farther in its intake stroke.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that a novel and important feature in an engine of this type, is provided, and with the present arrangement of the permanent magnetism for operation of the intake valve, the proper opening of the intake valve is assured, and that such opening of the intake valve is solely dependent upon the piston per se and not to the complicated mechanism now found necessary in four cycle engines.

What I claim is:

1. An internal combustion engine, including in combination a cylinder, a piston mounted therein for reciprocation and of a magnetic metal, a head for the cylinder, said head being provided with an intake port above the piston, a spring closed valve for said intake port, an extension connected to and below the valve and projecting into the cylinder, and a permanent magnet carried at the end of the said extension and in a position to be attracted by the piston at its extreme upstroke and during the beginning of the intake stroke to thus open the intake valve and admit a charge to the cylinder.

2. The herein described method of actuating the intake valve of an internal combustion engine, which consists in producing magnetic attraction between the intake valve and the piston of such engine at the beginning of the intake stroke of the piston, whereby the valve is instantly opened and held open by magnetic action until the latter weakens to such an extent that suction takes over for the continued opening of the intake valve.

3. An internal combustion engine, including in combination a cylinder, a piston mounted therein and composed of magnetic metal, a head for the cylinder provided with an intake port, a valve for controlling such port, a permanent magnet attached to the valve in attractive relation to the piston, and a spring for closing the valve, whereby at the start of an intake stroke of the piston the magnetic action between the piston and the valve opens the valve for suction action upon the valve after the magnetic force during the movement of the piston is lessened.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS Country 

